If I were the Leafs, I'd offer $6 million for five years, take it or leave it.

Can they afford it? Yes. For about $32 million, they can lock up all their key forwards including JVR and Nylander, by letting Bozak, Komarov go and trading Martin back to the Island. Throw in another $5 million for bonus for Matthews and Marner. Aaltonen will likely fill one of the left over forward spots in expensively. Matthews missing time helps us with the Nylander contract as it no doubt affects his points total. Highly doubtful Nylander's contract would eclipse Jets Ehlers, though he may match it at $6 million.

The would still leave quite a bit of cash left over, if you budgeted $40-45 million for forwards out of $80 million cap. Another $25-30 million will cover the d-men, and you could still have $10 million left over for goaltending and spare change.

Lupul, Gleason and Cowen all come off the books after this year, so that's about $7 million in savings.

The Leafs can let Hainsey walk after next year and buyout the final year of Marleau's contract if they need to. Resigning Matthews and Marner will got done, you can be sure of that.

It would be nice to keep JVR, but not over pay for him. He's kind of one dimensional - though you can't get much better a dimension that scoring.

If I were the Leafs I would also insist on a limited no trade clause, 10 team kind of thing, just to be on the safe side.

We'll see if he really loves Toronto and takes a hometown discount to be a part of history when it comes. Or if the Leafs mgmt love him enough to make him a decent enough but not outrageous offer to stay. I highly doubt they'd do that. I think $30 million over five years is fair for both sides.

This is something I find interesting. People in the Leafs org say the Marlies and Leafs play the same system. But I frequently hear people who watch the Marlies say they play a more up-tempo game and never dump the puck in. What's the deal there?